1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooling of electronic packages used in-computing system environments and more particularly to cooling of electronic components and packages used in mid-range and high-end high volume servers.
2. Description of Background
The industry trend of continuously increasing the number of electronic components inside computing system environments, has led to many challenges in the design and implementation of these systems. In simple computing system environments such as those comprising one or more personal computers, the challenges are easier to meet. In larger system environments, however, that include many computers in processing communication with one another, design challenges are harder to resolve.
One such important design challenge is management of dissipated heat generated by the computer system. Heat dissipation if unresolved, can result in electronic and mechanical failures that will affect overall system performance, no matter what the size of the environment. As can be easily understood, the heat dissipation increases as the packaging density increases. In larger computing system environments, not only are heat generating electronic components more numerous, but thermal management solutions that need to be implemented must be provided in view of other needs of the system environment. Improper heat dissipation can create a variety of other seemingly unrelated problems. For example solutions that involve inclusion of heavy fans, blowers and other such components may lead to weight issues that can affect the structural rigidity of the computing system environment. In customer sites that house complex or numerous computing system environments, unresolved heat dissipation issues may necessitate other cost prohibitive solutions such as supplying additional air conditioning to the customer site.
Heat dissipation issues have become a particular challenge in mid range and high volume computing system environments and prior art has made some attempts to resolve this issue. The problem with such arrangement is that the technology currently being practiced is reaching the end of its extendability, especially in regard to the newer microprocessor technology that uses metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) packages. In recent years, current prior art arrangements are having difficulties resolving heat load and local heat flux issues and these have become a critical factor, especially in the design of mid to high-range, high volume server packages.
Co-pending application POU920050148, introduces a concept where a hybrid liquid and air cooled module is employed. Through the use of its dual air and liquid cooled systems, system performance is greatly enhanced using cost effective, easy to implement methodology. The co-pending application, however, does not provide for a redundant system. In large system environments that incorporate many electronic components, a number of factors can cause one or more cooling elements in any cooling module to fail. Therefore providing a redundant system is desirous in case one or a plurality of these elements shall experience such failure.
Consequently, a new and improved cooling arrangement is desired that can provide the concepts provided in the co-pending application but with some built-in redundancies in case of systemic failures. This would be especially useful in larger environments that incorporate next generation CMOS technology in mid to high range, high volume servers.